The coming of Greed
by rosegirl220
Summary: The Once-ler had never been greed before, but what happens when his mother makes some...sudden changes for him? Suck as descriptions. All characters belong to Dr.Suess as far as I'm concerned.


It had been two days since the Once-ler agreed to his mother's request to start chopping down trees to increase productivity, and, therefore, sales. The usual noises of the animals outside were now replaced with chopping sounds, and the whirls of various machines that were biggering his factory.

Of course, as the said long-limned, raven haired Twenty-two year-old silently strummed the strings of his beloved guitar; he couldn't help but wonder...was it a wise decision? Was the need to make his family proud of him worth breaking his promise to the Lorax – who, the Once-ler noted, hadn't been seen since he made the decision to start chopping the trees – worth it?

"I mean...it's only a..few trees that are being cut down...right?" he asked to no one like he had once before. Only, this time, the baby Swomee-Swan wasn't there to quack in agreement. In fact, now that the Once-ler thought about it, he hadn't exactly been outside these last couple of days – which meant he hadn't seen any of the Animals he had come to know. Not the Humming Fish, not the Bar-ba-loot bears, and not the Swomee-Swans. Even his mule, named Melvin, hadn't been seen by him in some time. "Well...I'm sure their all okay. I mean...it's not like...I mean...I'm the good guy here!" the Once-ler then silently admitted that was beginning to sound more and more like a lie each time he said it. He then sighed sadly, and returned his attention to his guitar.

As the Once-ler ran his fingers across the guitars strings; a smile crept across his face. Playing his guitar had always made him feel better before, and, in this time of doubt, it really helped his stay calm. Of course, once he had started to play a miscellaneous melody, someone entered his office – which had recently been added, and was basically a little almost closet-sized room with only a desk (where the Once-ler was currently sitting at) crammed in the corner.

"Oncie?" a familiar female voice asked in both curiosity and a touch of agitation. The Once-ler then looks up, and sees his mother standing in the door-way.

"Hey mom." he greeted kindly, his smile widening a bit. His mother only gave a disapproving look.

"Why aren't you making Thneed's?" she asked as if he never greeted her in the first place. "You know we're backed up on Thneed orders, and, until the machines are up and running, we need you to make them by hand." the Once-ler's smile fell, and a certain sting hit his heart. He always wanted to please his mother, but, even when he thought he had pleased her, it seemed she only wanted more.

"I was just...taking a break." the Once-ler explains a bit sheepishly. His mother raised an eye brow in curiosity, and kept her disapproving look.

"Oh...I see." his mother stated after a moment of silence. "So, I take it you don't want to become a world-wide success then? Do you want me to be disappointed in you? Since your, as you put it, taking a break?" the sting that had hit his heart grew more intense, and he felt truly insignificant at her words.

"N-no!" the Once-ler clarified. "I do wanna be a success! A-and I do make you proud of me!"

"Then I suggest you stop playing with that silly guitar, and get back to work." his mother then looked at said instrument in the Once-ler's lap, and scowled. "Why do you even bother with that thing anyway? It looks all banged up, and there's a piece of tape holding it together." the Once-ler blushed slightly at his mothers observation, and held his guitar a little closer to him. The reason it had the tape on it was because, before his Thneeds were popular, a little girl had taken it directly out of his hands and snapped the end in half. She had originally taken it with her, but, when Thneed's became popular, she gave it back to him. He immediately patched it together which the mentioned tape, and began playing it once again.

"Because...I like playing it." the Once-ler explained. "It helps me think." His mother just looked at him with her signature disapproving look, and kept her eye brow raised.

"What could you possibly have to think about other than your business?" she asked.

The Once-ler looked away for a moment, but then looked back at his mother. "Well...I've been thinking...maybe...cutting down the trees...isn't such a good idea." he confessed, feeling a metaphorical weight lifted off his shoulders. "Maybe we should just go back to harvesting the tuffs instead of-"

"I won't hear it." his mother interjected sternly before he could finish. "This was is faster, and we'll make a lot more money." the Once-ler frowned at this.

"But...what about the animals?" he asked, a touch of worry in his voice. "If we keep cutting down the tree's...sooner or later...they'll have no where else to go." His mother sighs in frustration, but then looks to her son with her innocent smile.

"Now Oncie," his mother reproached sweetly, using the nickname The Once-ler had always secretly hated. "You and I both know it's silly to be thinking about the animals. They can fend perfectly for themselves, and are none of our concern. Remember: it's not illegal what your doing. It's just business." the Once-ler did particularly agree with what his mother said, but...every time he went against her; they usually got into a fight. And he just didn't feel like fighting his mother...well...not today at least.

"Yeah...you could be right." the Once-ler absentmindedly mumbles, sighing a bit as he said it. His mother then gets a victorious-like smile.

"Of course I am." Once-ler's mother announced proudly. "Now, put up that guitar, and get back to the sewing room." the Once-ler sighs heavily at this. The reason he took his break was because he had been hauled up in the sewing room for the past two days, and just needed a little time not making Thneeds – something he never thought he'd need so desperately.

"Okay...I'll go down there right away." the Once-ler sighed, standing up. He propped his guitar against a nearby wall, and walked passed his mother to the door.

"Thank you Oncie." his mother calls out in a sing-song voice. "I'll have someone clean up your office while your gone." The Once-ler, caught up in thought at the moment, then continues out the room, and, once the door shuts behind him, sighs for about the either time that day.

"Why do I feel like this?" pondered the Once-ler out-loud. "I have everything I ever could have hoped for. People liking my Thneeds...my family finally being proud of me...and more wealth than I could have ever hoped on having. But...somehow...I feel as if...there's an emptiness still inside me. Like something I know should be there isn't." as the Once-ler pondered; he remembered that the Lorax said to be careful about which way he leaned – as if he were a tree. At the time he didn't understand what he meant, but, even though he was still unsure of the meaning, he was beginning to think it was some sort of warning that was given before things went terribly wrong.

But...wasn't he the good guy?

Wasn't the Once-ler innocent on all accounts? Or...wasn't he? The raven haired man groans, and rubbed his temples with his Index finger and thumb. All these contradicting thoughts were giving him a raging head-ache. "I don't know. Maybe it'd be better for everyone if I just...closed the factory." he then realized all the people, who were already working at the biggering factory, he'd be leaving jobless. That was just as bad as cutting down the trees. Or...was it? His head-ache then grew more intense. He rubbed his throbbing temples some more, and went off to the sewing room to occupy his mind.

Meanwhile, in the Once-ler's office, his mother was sneering just on the other side of the door.

She was originally gonna fuel her son's Thneed making desire by telling him how proud she was of him, but, then, she over heard him talking about closing the factory. Suddenly, visions of him actually shutting down the factory ran through her mind. The money. The fame. All of it would be gone! And she didn't even get to enjoy it to the full extent yet! She raised three boys on her own for heavens sake! If anyone deserved the luxury life; it was her. Or, at least, in her mind it was.

"No! I won't let this happen!" the Once-ler's mother peps herself. "We're too far into success to stop now! That boys mind needs to be changed before this whole thing falls apart, and I wind up back at that horrible farm!" the Once-ler's mother then frantically thinks for ideas, and, remembered her son said something about feeling empty. Her brain instantly forms a plan. As the wheels of her mind began to turn; a sneer-like smile formed on her face. "Empty, huh Oncie? Well, son, mama has exactly what you need." a evil gleam settles in her eyes, and she turns to face her sons office. Sure, it was small now, but, with a little bit of time and cooperation, it could become so much more. She then grabbed the well-used guitar her son had left in the corner before going out into the hall, and calling for her two other sons.

"Brett! Chet! Ger your butts down here!" the Once-ler's mother yells shrilly down the hall. "We've got a ton of remodeling to do!"

~o~o~o~4 hours later~o~o~o~

"And that," the Once-ler mumbles as he makes the last tug on the thread. He then uses his teeth to cut the string, and holds the now finished pink and fluffy Thneed in his hands. "Is one more Thneed made." he then tosses it into a pile of about Fifty other Thneeds he made previously that day. He then sighs heavily, and looks around in the sewing room around him.

The room itself reminded the Once-ler of, in a word, Sweat-shop. The space was cramped, and hot due to the inclosed body heats of the people in it.

All around people who he had never even met were sewing his Thneed. Since the factory started biggering itself; his mother had taken it into her own hands to hire a bunch of workers. And, of course, without the Once-ler's permission. Then again...she never asked his permission for anything. Why should now be any different? The Once-ler then stares into space for a bit, but then stands up, and casually walks out of the room. He then begins to walk down the many hallways that lead to his office; fully focused on playing his guitar a little more. Of course, when he finally get's there, he opens the door to find...it was now a storage room. Thneed's in all sorts of colors were stacked wall to wall, and the desk that had been there was now gone. And so was his guitar.

"Where...where did everything go?" the Once-ler asked; scratching his head out of curiosity.

"Ah, there you are sweetie." someone suddenly says from behind the Once-ler. The Once-ler jumps slightly, but calms down when he turns around and sees it's only his mother. "I was hoping I'd find you." she then looks behind him for a moment, but then laughs slightly. "I see you saw what we converted your old office to."

"Wait...hold on...old office?" the Once-ler asks in confusion. It was to his knowledge that this was the only office currently in the whole factory.

"Of course!" his mother explains. "The head of a big corporation, like yourself, can't possibly operate in such a small office. So, I've decided to move your office!"

"Uh...that's sweet," the Oncer-ler began. "But...you didn't need to do that. I was happy with-"

"Oh, non-sense!" his mother exclaims, cutting him off. "Anything for my favorite child!" the Once-ler was caught off guard by this. His mother had never – and he meant never! - called him her favorite before. It made him feel...special. "Now, come along, let me show you to your new office." with that, the Once-ler's mother began to lead her son down the labyrinth that was the factories many hallways. After probably a miles walk: they came to this huge set of double doors that had the Once-ler's two identical brothers Brett and Chet almost guarding it. "It's right through here, Oncie." his two brothers then open the door, and the Once-ler follows his mother into it.

"Whoa." the Once-ler gasps as he enters the room – without having to duck his head as he usually had to he noted. He then looks around, and takes it all in. The room was bigger than his old office by a long shot. It's ceilings were almost sky high, the walls were a lovely tan color, in the very middle was a huge desk with a name-plate that read: _Mr. Once-ler _on it, a nicely sized red-spinning chair at said desk, and, to top it all off, a large balcony over-looking the entire Truffula tree forest. Of course: what caught his eye most of all was the dazzling red, two-nosed electric guitar propped up in the corner with two mighty amps off to the sides of it. He then walked over to the guitar, and knelt before it as if it were a statue of a famous god. He then ran his currently UN-gloved fingers down the instruments sleek frame before standing back up. "Is...is this really...all for me?" the Once-ler asked, still completely flabbergasted.

"Only the best for the boss." his mother speaks up. The Once-ler smiles slightly. The boss. He liked the sound of that. Of course, once the Once-ler saw the darkening valley outside the office, he quickly frowned once more.

"But...but just look at-" he tries to say, but was cut off.

"Oh but this office is only the beginning!" his mother interrupts, waving her hands in a dramatic fashion. "If your gonna be a proper boss, you need to dress like one." the Once-ler raises an eyebrow in confusion, and, before he know what was going on, his two other brothers wheeled in something covered by one of his Thneed's. The Once-ler then noted another use for his invention, and, when the brothers took off the fuzzy cover, the Once-ler's eyes widened.

"...that's...mine?" he asked a little surprised.

The outfit the Once-ler spoke of was beautiful, and looked to be very expensive. It had a pin-stripped green jacket that had long-length coat-tails with a green and black stripped tie that looked as soft as silk. The pants were simply long, black khakis that had a gold chain dipping out from the right pocket. And, as added accessories, a long green top-hat, red bug-eye like goggles, and long green gloves that were more for show than for actual yard work.

"Yes, yes it is." his mother reassures him. "Now, go into your office's personal bathroom, and try it on for size." wait...personal bathroom? The Once-ler turns around, and, there before his eyes, was the doors to a personal bathroom. His mother then gets the new clothes, puts them into her sons arms, and gives him an encouraging little shove forward. The Once-ler then walks into the bathroom, and the door somehow closes behind him. He stood there in confusion for a moment, but then he finally registered what had happened.

"Why won't she just listen to me?" the Once-ler wonders out loud. He then looks down at the suit in his hand, and sighs. "Maybe if I wear this...she'll finally listen." with that, the Once-ler then began to dis-robe. He takes of his gray vest first, and slips on the green jacket over his white under-shirt. The Once-ler had to admit...it fit him perfectly. He then slid the tie around his neck, and tied in the regular fashion. The tie felt a little like a noose, (he wasn't exactly fond of wearing ties) but the silk material felt good against the sensitive skin on the back of his neck. He then slid off his pants, momentarily revealing his white boxers with red hearts on them, and puts the black khakis. To his surprise...they actually came to the beginning of his ankles. Because of his height; it was always hard to find pants that weren't too short. He then quickly slipped the gloves, hat, and goggles on before looking at himself in the mirror. To him, the outfit looked...more put together. As if it gave the wear an instant status of importance. "Remember, this is for the trees." he reminded himself, feeling a little over-whelmed at the moment. He then quickly straightens the jacket before taking a big breath and exiting the bathroom. Once he came out; his mother's face instantly lite up with joy.

"Oh Oncie," his mother gushes. "You look so grown up in that suit!" the Once-ler was about to say something, but then...he heard giggling from the door-way. He looked in the direction it was coming from, and saw...girls. About six of them. Just standing there in the door-way; whispering and giggling amongst themselves. The Once-ler blinked in disbelief, and his cheeks tinted red.

"Uh...mom...why are those girls...outside my office?" the Once-ler asks slowly; the question not sounding right coming from him.

"Them?" his mother asks innocently like she didn't even notice them until he said something. "Oh, there just a couple of fans who really love your Thneed." she then turns to said group of girls. "Don't you like his Thneed, ladies? And what about his new look?" the groups of girls seemed to simultaneously all get blushes across their cheeks, and give nervous giggles.

"I think it looks great on him." one girl with long black hair speaks up. The others send her almost jealous looks, and nod in agreement. The Once-ler then suddenly feels a sly smile form across his lips.

"Oh...you do, do you?" the Once-ler asks a bit teasingly. The Once-ler may be a bit distant at times, but he wasn't stupid. It was obvious the girl who spoke up saw him as attractive, and...he had to admit: she was pretty cute herself. Long, straight black hair that gently kissed her cheeks lead way to a particularly skinny body. Her face was graced with green eyes, and she wore a blue dress that came to her knee-caps. "Well...it just so happens...I think you look pretty cute as well." this makes the girl blush ten fold, and the other squeal slightly of what seemed to be jealousy.

"So, Oncie, what's this I've been hearing about you planning not to make Thneed's anymore?" his mother asks out of no where. The Once-ler momentarily wonders how is mother knew of this, but a "Aw" of sadness from the group of girls distracts him.

"Your seriously gonna stop making Thneed's?" one asks in what sounded to be anguish.

"But I love the Thneed." the one who had spoke up earlier speaks up again. "It would be soul crushing if they weren't being made any more!" This caught the Once-ler off guard more than anything. A girl, a cute girl at that, actually loved his Thneed. A lot, as a matter of fact. The Once-ler's heart seems to flutter a bit, and...he wants to keep all these girls happy.

"Now ladies," the Once-ler interjects, getting the girls attention. Their eyes widen in anticipation, and the smile he had only seems to widen. "Why would I do a thing like that? I don't wanna disappoint my fans. Especially a lovely group of girls as your self's." the Once-ler said; being a little shocked he could talk with such a persuasive tongue. A excited squeal seems to run through the group, and, without warning, the Once-ler found all six girls clinging to him in a loving hug. He was frazzled for a moment, but it seemed to fade quickly. He then puts his arms around the first two girls at his side, and he happened to glance at a nearby window that head to the outside world. Of course, instead of the dying forest, he only saw...himself. Surrounded by girls. Smile of satisfaction in his face.

Now this...this was something he definitely could get used to.

"Oh my gosh!" one of the girls exclaims. "You know how to play guitar? Could you please play for us?" the others cheer in agreement, and the Once-ler's smile just increased.

"Well, if you insist." the Once-ler says as if it's no big deal. The girls then let him through, and he grabs the red guitar with it's amps from the corner. He then goes over to the desk, and leans on the edge of it. The girls crowd around him, and, after a slight adjustments to the cords, he then begins to play. And, for not playing electric guitar before, he seemed to be a natural. Each note made the girls swoon more, and, with them, trees grew farther and farther from his mind. He was so caught up in the moment that he didn't notice his mother sneak into his private bathroom.

She quickly and quietly scooped his clothed off the floor, and walked out. She intended on burning them – just as she had with that old guitar of his. Was it a paranoid move? Yeah, but, to keep her financial future secure, she needed to make sure no detail was over-looked. She then takes a moment to look back at her son before exiting, and, just by the way he's enjoying himself with those girls around him, she knew he wasn't gonna stop production. She smirks victoriously at her handy work, and walks out with her nose held high.

And, of course, she was right. The Once-ler was having all to good of a time to just stop. Of course, a small twang of guilt rested in the back of his mind. But...the more Once-ler thought about it...tree's being cut down didn't seem bad. In fact; it only seemed natural.

'It's not like I'm doing anything illegal.' the Once-ler convinced himself in his mind. 'It was only business, and it's all apart of my destiny. Besides...'

How bad could this possibly be?


End file.
